So! I got to learn about salt-curing watermelon recently when I read Angelo Sosa’s new book, Flavor Exposed. Pretty cool book, considering the fact that I can relate to most of the asian inspired flavor profiles from my asian roots. I chose to post this because it was so easy to make and so refreshingly fun to eat.

We have something like a salad here. It was constructed with the thought along the lines of watermelon feta salad and also the other fact that I do not like feta. Hence the watermelon and left-over Philadelphia cream cheese salad was born. Roasted cashews for texture and good flavor. Mint and olive oil for a little earthy fruity bright finishing touch. Very nice you know.

Thank you very much for reading this really short post. You will find the recipe just below! Stay tuned to find out what happened to the rest of the watermelon.

I am so excited to share this salad with you guys! Over the past couple of weeks, I’ve been really working on planning my meals better and eating a bit healthier (emphasis on “a bit,” since there’s still ice cream in the equation). As I’ve geeked out and created weekly menus, complete with Excel spreadsheets, it’s lead me to a lot of great, healthy recipes to add in the mix. Out of all the yummy new dishes I’ve tried, this one has been my absolute favorite. Simple ingredients, fresh flavors, and—best of all—super quick to prepare. Here’s how to do it:
Step 1: Lots of shredded romaine lettuce.

Step 2: Some fancily-arranged avocado.

Step 3: Fresh, crunchy cucumber.

Step 4: Beautiful, juicy strawberries.

Step 5: Cottage cheese.
That’s right, cottage cheese. Along with the moisture from the avocado, cucumber, and strawberries, the cottage cheese functions as the dressing for this salad. I know it sounds a bit odd, but trust me, it’s surprisingly delicious.

Finally, Step 6: Chopped, toasted pecans.

And that’s it! Quite possibly one of the easiest salads I’ve ever made and yet also quite possibly one of the most delicious. Personally, I love the the cottage cheese in place of a dressing, since even vinaigrettes can sometimes taste a little too heavy and savory. This easy combination of fresh ingredients makes for a refreshing, delightful summer salad.

Do you have any favorite salad combos? What are your go-to summer munchies? Tell me in the comments!

Mix sliced cucumber with lemon juice, set aside.
To assemble the salad, first fill a plate or bowl with romaine lettuce. Arrange layers of avocado, cucumber, and strawberries on top. Add cottage cheese and salt, then sprinkle with toasted pecans.
Serve immediately.

Watermelon Salad with Jalapeño and Lime

Serves 4

30 minutes or fewer

Thanks to farmers in Texas and Arizona, sweet flavor-packed watermelons are now available year-round. Black sesame seeds add a nice color contrast to this dish, but if you can’t find them, white sesame seeds work just as well.

3 Tbs. lime juice

2 Tbs. olive or avocado oil

⅛ tsp. lime zest

2 cups seedless watermelon, cut into ½-inch cubes

1 jalapeño pepper, seeded and sliced

¼ cup basil or Thai basil, cut into thin strips

1 tsp. black sesame seeds

½ tsp. sea salt

1. Whisk together lime juice, oil and lime zest. Set aside.

2. Place watermelon cubes in single layer in large shallow dish. Pour lime juice mixture over watermelon, and gently toss to combine. Cover, and refrigerate until ready to serve.

3. Place 5 jalapeño rings each in 4 shallow serving bowls. Mound 1/2 cup watermelon in center of each bowl. Divide marinade among bowls. Sprinkle with basil, sesame seeds and salt, and serve.

I’m RAW but I’m not vegan. This is raw cottage cheese with a strawberry sauce I made topped with bee pollen. Unheated, unpastuerizd dairy filled with protein, enzymes, calcium, minerals!

When’s the last time you sat down and ate raw zucchini?Zucchini is loaded with vitamin C!! Make your skin happy!! This zucchini noodle salad is so tasty! The sauce is walnuts, garlic, cilantro, lemon, lime, sea salt!